New clients can enjoy their first private training session for FREE
Meet your coach
Coach Earl Barron
High-Performance Coach — Former NBA Center & NBA Champion
Basketball, Post Play, Rebounding, Shooting, Fundamentals, Skills Development & Assessment, Youth Grades 3–12+
When signed by the Miami Heat, Pat Riley called him the best player in the summer league, and Barron responded: "I'm just a guy from a small town who never thought I'd hear praises like that. It's remarkable." — (on my journey from Clarksdale, Mississippi to the NBA)
Earl Barron
About Coach Barron
Coach Earl Barron brings something rare to PPFSports: the perspective of a player who reached the very top of the game the hard way. A 7-foot center out of the University of Memphis, Earl went undrafted in 2003 — and instead of giving up, he built one of the most determined careers in modern basketball, earning an NBA Championship ring with the 2006 Miami Heat.
Over nine NBA seasons, Earl suited up for seven franchises, including the Heat, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, and Washington Wizards. His grit showed up in the box score: in a 2010 stretch with the Knicks he averaged a double-double (11.7 points and 11.0 rebounds), including an 18-rebound performance against the Boston Celtics. He was a two-time NBA D-League All-Star selection and was named All-NBA D-League First Team in 2015.
Earl's journey took him around the world — Turkey, Italy, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, and Japan — where in 2016 he was named the Taiwanese SBL's Best Foreign Player of the Year. At Memphis, he helped the Tigers capture the 2002 NIT Championship and reach the 2003 NCAA Tournament, playing under legendary coach John Calipari.
After hanging up his sneakers, Earl moved straight into player development — first as an assistant coach with the Northern Arizona Suns, and later as a video and player-development assistant with the NBA's Indiana Pacers. That coaching background is what he pours into every athlete at PPF Sports: elite footwork, post fundamentals, rebounding instincts, and the relentless, never-quit mindset that turned an undrafted kid from a small town into a world champion.